Lens centering, marking, and testing instrument.



G. A. B ADER & C. W. HOWLAND. LENS CENTERING, MARKING, AND TESTING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, I912.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' G. A. BADER & C. W. HOWLAND.

LENS CENTERING, MARKING, AND TESTING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I2. I9I2.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

5 SHEIITSBHEET 2.

G. A. BADER & C. W. HOWLAND.

LENS CENTERING, MARKING, AND TESTING INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, I912.

1,134,938. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

6 $HEETS-SHBET 3.

G. A. BADER & C. W. HOTWLAND. LENS CENTERING, MARKING, AND TESTING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, I912. 1,134,938. Pat nted Apr.6. 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

G. A. BADER & C. W. HOWLAND. LENS CENTERING, MARKING, AND TESTING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, I912. Patented'Apr. 6, 1915.

fving the GUSTAV A. EADER, or ROCHESTER, AND CHAUNCEY w. HowLANn, 0F GENEVA, NEw YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE STANDARD OPTICAL COMPANY, or GENEVA, NEw You,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LENS CENTERING, MARKING, AND TESTING TNSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application field September 12, 1912. Serial No. 719,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that we, GUSTAV A. BADER and CHAUNCEY XV. HOWLAND, of Rochester and-Geneva, respectively, in the counties of Monroe and Ontario, respectively, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lens Centering, Marking, and Testing Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in instruments for centering, marking and testing lenses preparatory to cutting and mounting and also in the selection of lenses for certain prescriptions and inveriaccuracy of finished lenses whether mounted or unmounted.

This device is somewhat similar to that shown in the patent to C. W. Howland, #790,059, May 16. 1905, except that instead ,of holding and adjusting the lens by hand against a transparent plate between a -rotary target and a sight tube as in the Howland device, we have provided a rotary lens holder located betweena non-rotatable target and a sight tube and adjustable radially in all directions for the purpose of bringing the center of the lens and its major aXis into proper visual registration with the cross lines of the target preparatory to marking.

, he main object, therefore, is to-enable a lens or lens blank to be more-accurately and expeditiously centered and. marked with reference to its optical center and axis and to permit the same device to be used for testing, selecting and decentering lenses of various prescribed forms and determining the power or value of prismatic lenses.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description:

In the drawings :Figures 1 and 2 are respeetively a top plan and a side elevation of a lens centering, marking and testing device embodying the various features of our invention. Fig. 3

face view of the auxiliary lens clamping deis an enlarged transversevertical sectional view of theupper porvice and adjacent portion of its supporting frame shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the marking device taken on line 7-7, Fig. 3. Fig.

9 is a front face View of a modified lens holder for centering or properly positioning the lens for marking its optical center and major axis. Fig. 10 is a rear face view of the same'lens holding means and adjacent portion'of the index plate in which it is mounted. Fig. 11 is a, transverse vertical sectional view of the same device taken on line l111, Fig. 9.- Fig. 12 (Sheet 1) is a front face View of the detachedtarget.

Fig. 1-3.(Shee t 4) is a face View of a portion .stud 4.on a rotary head 5, the latter PatentedApr. c, 1915.

being journ'aled upon the upper end of the base 2, thereby permitting the frame -l to be rotated horizontally to any angle about its axis or tilted vertically to any angle to and from a horizontal position about the axis of the bearing or stud l which is at right angles to the axis ofrOtation of the rotary head '5. l

The frame or bed -1 extends laterally a considerable distance to either side of the base- 2. and is relatively narrow transversely and provided with opposite parallel longitudinal ways 6 which are undercut or dovetailed to form guideways for receivin and supporting superposed carriages and 8'-, The carriage 7 is provided at its opposite edges with dovetailed ribs 9' fitting with an easy sliding fit against the ways 6 to hold said carriage in operative position uponthe bedand perinit it to'be moved lengthwise thereof. In like manner the carriage -8 is provlded with opposite lengthwise ribs 10 fitting with an easy sliding fit upon the ways 6- to permit longitudinal slidlng ad ustment thereof along the bed -1 The carriage -7 which supports the lens holder and marking device is located between the carriage 8 and a sight tube 11- and is movable between limiting stops 12- and --13- on the frame 1-, said carriage being provided with an upwardly extending arm or bracket 14 havingan annular bearing '15 in which is journaled a rotarily adjustable ring 16' having its front end provided with a radially The to the periphery of the rearwardly protruding reduced end of the ring and engage the rear face of the bearing 15 and together with the flange 17- serve to hold the ring against axial movement relatively to its supporting bracket 14 and at the same time to guide the ring -16- in its rotary movement.

y The front face of the ring is disposed in a substantially flat plane at-right angles to its axis and also at right angles to the plane of the ways -6 along which the bracket 14 with the ring thereon are movable and therefore the axis of the ring is substantially parallel with the ways and -directly over the longitudinal center thereof,

said flange 17' being provided on its front face with an index preferably cen-' trally in the. lower side thereof movable around a concentric graduated plate 20-- to enable the operator to read the angle or degree of inclination of the optical axis of the lens under test from its honrizontal or geometrical axis in a manner hereinafter more fully described, the plate 20- being preferably semi-circular and concentric with I the lower half of the ring -16- and is secured by suitable fastening means, as screws 21--, to diametrically opposite radially projecting arms -22 on' the sides of the bearing -15-.

The ring -16- is frictionally held in a predetermined normal position, with its index registering with the 90 degrees graduation on the, index plate 20-, by means of stop pins -23 which are mounted in suitable sockets in the inner ends of the arms -18 and are spring pressed axially of the ring into frictional engagement with the rear face of the bearing --15- by suitable springs 24' as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, sa d rear face of the bearing -.-15- being provided with one or more depressions 25- for receiving at least one of the pins messes 23 when the ring 16 is in its normal position to additionally hold the ring against accidentally shifting rotarily from such normal position. I

Lens holding means-Suitable means is provided for holding the lens and adjusting it-rotarily and radially in any direction relatively to the axis of the ring 16- for the purpose of centering such lens relatively to the cross lines of a suitable target 2- which is mounted on the carriage .s-8-" some distance to the rear of the lens supporting carriage 7 and is provided with cross lines intersecting each other at right angles, the point of intersection being located in the produced axis of the ring -16.

In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, we have shown a preferred form of lens holder'-27 consisting of co-axial rings -28' and 29 operatively connected to each. other to maintain their co-axial relation but having their major portions held a sufiicient distance apart to receive between them opposite pairs of jaws 30- having lens centering pins --31, which together with the jaws are movable toward and from each other ,-to clamp and release a lens or lens blank. :The outer ends of the jaws are pivoted equi-distant apart at 32 to the ring 28 and are provided with eccentric slots 33 for receiving pins 34- on the ring 29-. The ring -29- isadjustable rotarily relatively to and upon the ring -28 against the action of a retracting. spring 35, thereby shifting the pins ---34 along the slots 33 toward the pivots '-32- to open the jaws for the receptionof a lens or lens blank as a between the pins 31, the front face of the ring -2-9 being provided with an operating member or finger piece -37 by which it may be rotated by -hand. The spring 35 is located in the space between the rings and has one end con nected to the ring 28- and its other end connected to the ring -29- so that when the ring 2-9 is released after being rotated to open the jaws, the spring -35 automatically returns the ring -28- to its normal position or until limited by the engagement of the pins -34 with the outer ends of the slots --33 farthest from their pivots -32-, thereby closing the pins of the Jaws upon the lens or lens blank and holding said lens during the adjustment of the lens holder 27 rotarily and transversely of .its axis and also while the lens is being and spring tensioned againstrthe rear face.

of said flange for frictionallyretaining the lens .holder 27' in any of its adjusted positions and at the same time permitting the entire lens holder to be removed from the flange 17 by withdrawingit radially transversely of-the' direction of extension ofv the arms 3S until the inner ends of the springs 3-9 pass beyond the periphery of m the flange 17, whereupon the holder may be withdrawn in the directionof its axis. The rings 28 and, 29, are held in operative relation by screws et. passing through diametrically opposite slots '-41- 15,-; in the ring 29-, the; circumferential length of the slots being substantially equal to the degree of rotary adjustment ofthe ring 29 necessary to open and close the jaws from one to the other of their extreme positions and together with the screws 'or pins 40 may serve. as stops for limiting the rotary adjustment of the ring 29- in opposite directions. The primary object of this rotary and radial adjustment of the lens or blank is to enable its optical center and axis to be accurately established by comparison with the cross lines of the target when sighting through the tube 11- and then marking the lens in a manner hereinafter 3 0 described, upon such center and axis. It is evident, however, that this same lens. holder may be used to determine the power or value of prisms, decentering and also in testing the accuracy of cut lenses byadjusting it so that 5 its axis is co-incident with that of the ring 16 and its arms -38 in a horizontal position parallel with the horzintal line of the target, in which case the lens clamping ,pins 3l-- will be" relatively located equidistant from such axis. Then, in testing the tially co-incident with the major geometrical axis, but on the other hand if the lines are visually broken the optical aberration may be detected and corrected by rotating the ring -16 with the lens holder thereon in.

one direction or the other until the aberration is removed by the unbroken appearance of the lines and the degree of decentering of the optical axis will be indicated'by the graduations on the dial plate 20- which shows at a glancethe degree of inclination of the optical axis relatively to the major geometrical axis.

The target 26- is fixed to its supporting carriage '8 in a plane at right angles to its axis which is co-incident with that of the lens supportingring 16- and therefore parallel with the ways 6, said target being provided with separate series -band b of parallel vertical lines located respectively above and below the magma horizontal cross line, and, in this instance,

at the same left-hand side of the vertical cross line, the series of lines, b--being spaced equi-distant apart in parallel to reppower at the same predetermined distance from the lens. It therefore followsthat" at one-"half such predetermined distance from the lens, the series b.will represent units or degrees of prism power and the series b half-units or degrees.

The rearward movement of the carriage 8.' is limited'by a stop l2, while the forward movement is limited by the stop 12, the object of which is to stop the target at a predetermined focal distance from the plane of the lens when mounted in the holder, and for a similar purpose the rearward movement of the. carriage 7 is limited by the stop I2 while its forward movement is limited by the stop 13. These carriages may be secured at any intermediate position between the stopsby set screws 7 and 8 which are engaged in threaded apertures in the righthand' side oftheir respective carriages and adapted to engage the adjacent side of the way 6, thus permitting the securement of the target in any of its adjusted positions to conform to the focus of the lens or lens blank which is being tested or marked, the stops serving also to hold the carriage a fixed distance from the lens for decentering or testing lenses of different prismatic powers.

Lens marking dem'ca-The means for marking the lens comprises a rocking frame fi50 pivoted at 51 to the carriage 7 below the lens holder and provided with a hand piece 52 by which it'may be rock shaft or spindle -53 to which is.

secured a cylinder -54 carrying a series of, in this instance, five radially'yielding marking pins 55 having their marking points disposed in the same straight. line at one side of the cylinder or barrel -54-. The central marking pin is located in the vertical plane of the line of sight or axis of the ring --16, while the other pins are located at opposite sides of the central pin but within the margin of an ordinary lens blank which may be placed in the lens holder. The pivot 5l for the rocking frame -50 is disposed nea-rly directly under the lens holder and the distance between said pivot and axis of the rock shaft 53 is substantially equal to the distance between said pivot and axis of the ring -16 so as to cause the pins -55 to mark the optical center and axis of the lens blank in described. V

Secured to the rock shaft -53 at the outer end of the barrel -Y54E- is a gear or knurled head 56 meshing with a toothed rack 57 having one end slidable telescopically within a tubular support -58 as shown more clearly in Fig. 8, the lower end of said tubular support being pivoted at 59 upon the carriage -7 some distance in front of the pivot 51 of the rocking frame Within this tubular support 58 is a coiled spring -60- having its lower end secured to the pivot -59- a manner presently and its upper end attached to the lower end of the rack -57- and together with the rack and pinion serve v to rock the shaft -53 and its barrel 54- together with the pins through approximately onequarter turn so that when the frame -50- is in its extreme down position, the pins -55 will point downwardly and when rocked upwardly to its extreme up position, the points of the pins will face and come in contact withvthe front face of the lens on the holder 27-.

An ink reservoir 61 containing an ink pad or roller 62 is secured to the front end of the carriage .7 a suitable distance in front of the rocking frame 50 to permit contact of the points of the pins with the .ink pad when the frame is rocked downwardly to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8.

The spring is normally tensioned so as to hold the frame 50- and marker pins carried thereby in an intermediate position but below the plane of the lens when mounted in the holder so as not to obscure the scope of vision in sighting through the tube and lens to the target. f

The degree of rocking movement of the barrel 54.- and its marking pins is limited by stop pins 63 projectingfrom opposite sides of the head 56 and adapted to engage opposite sides of a cross bar 64-- on the frame 50-, as shown more clearly in Fig. 8.

The toothed rack 57- is held in operative engagement with the pinion -56- by means of a back rest 65- shown in Figs. 3 and 8 and by tensioning the spring in the manner just previously described, it is evident that when the frame 50 is rocked toward the ink pad, the spring -60 will be under compression and when moved to its marking position it will be under tension, thereby assuring the full rocking movement of the markers from one extreme position to the other as limited by the stop pins when not in use by a suitable cover 61'--. The sight tube 11- is secured to the upper end of a bracket -11'- which in optical center in exact co-incidence nuances turn is preferably rigidly secured to the front end of the frame -1--, said tube having its sight opening in the produced axis of the ring 16 and target. v

If desired the lens holder -27 may be removed in the manner previously described and an auxiliary lens holder 66 used in testing out or finished lenses, and one of the distinctive features of this auxiliary lens holder is that it is hinged to the flange of the ring 16 in such manner as to bring the lens in exactly the same transverse vertical plane as that in which the lens is supported by the holder 27 so that after a lens has been properly centered and marked in the holder -27- and afterward out according to such marking, thetesting ofthe same cut lens in the auxiliary holder 66 will not show any visual aberration or broken lines on the target as would be the case if the lens were marked in one plane and out according to such marking and then tested in another plane. This auxiliary lens holder comprises a vertically rocking frame -67- pivoted at one end to and between suitable bearings 68- on the upper side of the periphery of the flange -17- of the ring 16 and having its opposite end adapted to carry a pair of oppositely arranged lens clamping jaws 69 and suitable operating means as a cam 70 and levers 71-. The frame .67- is composed of a base section -72 which is pivoted directly to the bearings -68- and an adjustable section 73 connected to the section -72'- by adjusting screws -74, whereby the lens clamps. may be properly adjusted for supporting the lens with its With that of the ring -v16'-and target. The jaws 69- are provided with guide rods -75- disposed one above the other in horizontal recesses or ways -76-- in the front face'of the frame section 73 when the latter is in operative position, saidjaws being located at'opposite sides of the frame section -73-,. The guide rod -75 of each .jaw extends laterally through its, corresponding guide opening or Way 76- and also through a registering aperture in the opposite jaw, said guide rods being provided with vertical grooves -77 in their front sides for receiving pins -79- on the cam -70 so thatwhen -said cam is rotated by the lever 7 1+, the pins 79- engagin in the slots or grooves 77- in the ro s 75 will impart the same degree of lateral movement to each of the jaws69 in opposite directions. with a pair of lens clamping pins 80 projecting forwardly therefrom for enga The ink reservoir -61 may be closed 1 g ingthe periphery of the lens and holding it in roper position for testing and marking with its optical center in exact alinemen't with that of the ring -16 and target.

Each jaw is provided.

The lever 7 1 is locked to thedi'sk 70. byv one of the pins 79- and a suitable. clamping nut -81 andit together with the "disk are returned to their normal positions by means of aretracting spring 82' i to hold the jaws 69 -in their extreme in- 'as the auxiliary lens holder by simply positioning it with its axis co-incident with that of the ring" -."I6' in which it is ou teda In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 we have shown a modified form of lens holder to, take. the place of the holder 27 and it consists of a plate 20-adapted to be secured in any suitable manner to the frame 14- somewhat similar .tothat shown for securingthe-p'late '-20 to sand frame ex-' 'cept that it is provided with a circular opening ,or bearing 15 registering and concentric with the opening in the bearing '15 to receive and support arotarlly adjustable ring -16'- correspondingto the. ing 16, said ring being provided with one or more,'in this instance two, indexes or pointers 84 spaced 90 apart and movable around concentric graduations 86 on the front face of the plate 20-, one of the pointers registering with the zero or. 180 mark at one or either side of the plate, while the other pointer registers with the 90 graduation. The front face of the ring 16 is somewhat larger than the opening 15' and constitutes an annular shoulder for preventing rearward displacement of the ring through the opening whilethe rear side of the ring is provided with one or more ra:

against forward displacement.

dially projecting earsor flanges 87 engaging the rear face of the plate to hold it Mounted within and upon this ring 16- is a lens holder 27 which adjustable rotarily and radially in all directions. relatively totheaxis of the ring and comprises relatively movable sections 28' and .29."- and suitable connections between the section 28- and ring -l6 whereby both sections may be moved simultaneously relatively to the ring--l 6. or said rm together with the lens holder rotated relatlvely to the graduhted plate 86,. lL- he connection between the ring 16- and lens holding section 28."- consists of a mug 89-'-- journaled in the opening in the. ring 16" and held in place by two or more springs ,90 whiehenter annular grooves in-the periphery of said ring 8-,9 as shown more clearly in Figs. 10 and 11. The frontend of this ring 89. is provided with diametrically opposite slotted ways-91 parallel with each other and with which the-diamet rically opposite sides of thesections '28'- are slidably interlocked to move diametrically or radially of both rings -1G' and 89 In likemanner the section --28- -is provided with diametrically opposite slotted ways -92 with which diametrically opposite sides. of the section 29 are slidably interlocked, as shown more clearly in Fig. 10, the ways 92'' being parallel and disposed at substantially right angles to the ways 91 so as to permit din-metrical or radial movement of the section '29. at right angles to that of the section -28 although both sections may be moved in the direction of extension of the ways 9L.

Thesection +29 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite lens clamping j aws 3( slidably' interlocked therewith for radial movement toward and from each other, each jaw being provided with a pair of lens clamping pins 3l" and is spring pressed toward the other for causing the pins to yieldingly engage the periphery of' the lens to hold it in operative position for centering, marking or testing wlth relation to the target. The jaws 30 are spring pressed toward each other to yieldingly engage the periphery of ,a lens by sprlngs -99. and serve to hold-the lens in a plane at substantial-Ly right anglesto the focalaxis and centrally of the ring upon. which the jaws are mounted. I c

It will be observedthat in both forms of lens holders, the jaws are provided with back rests for the lens while being held between the clamping pins, thereby assuring a firm support for the lens without obscuring the line of vision therethrough.

If desired the radially adjustable parts of the lens holder and rotary support therefor may be provided with suitable marks as m and. -m'- adapted to be brought into re istration with each other as shown in Fig. 3. 0 center the radially movable parts of the. lens holder as 27 with its supporting ringas T1 6 particularly when it is desired to. use this lens holder :for testing finished lenses or for testing the power or value of prismatic lenses, in which case. it will perform the same function as the auxiliary lens holder- 6.6, permitting the latter to be dispensed with if desired.

The operation of our invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying. drawings, and although the specific forms oflens holders herein shown and described. are preferable, we do not wish.

to limit ourselves to such construction nor to.

the details of any of the other mechanisms herein illustrated, It is understood, however, that the primary object of the lens hold -2 7 to. properly hold and adjust holding, adjusting and testing regular or irregular lenses.

hat we claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising a-ring adjustable rotarily about its axis and having an independent adjustment transversely of such axis, and lens clamping jaws movably mounted on the ring to close and open upon and from the lens.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising a rotarily adjustable member, a support,

therefor, and a lens holder mounted on said member and adjustable radially in any direction relatively thereto.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising two rings .one of which is rotatable, the other ring having an independent adjustment transversely of the axis of the rotary ring, and lens clamping jaws mounted on the transversely adjustable ring.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising two rings one of which is adjustable rotarily, the other ring having in independent adjustment transversely of, the axis of the rotaryring, lens clamping jaws mounted on the transversely adjustable ring, and means for frictionally holding the last named ring in its adjusted position.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising two members, one of which is adjustable rotarily, the other member having an independent adjustment transversely of the axis of the'rotary. member, mounted on the transversely member, and spring clamping means. on one of the members for holding the'pther member in its adjusted'position.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising two rings one of which is adjustable rotarily, adjustment transversely ofthe axis of the rotary ring, lens clamping jaws mounted on the transversely adjustable ring,.and a graduated scale concentric with said axis for indicating the degree of adjustment of the rotary ring from a predetermined position.

7 In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising a supporting member, a ring adjustable rotarily upon said member and having an independent adjustment transversely of its axis of rotation, lens clamping jaws mounted on said ring, and means also mounted on the ring for opening and clos ng the jaws.

8. In an apparatus of the character delens clamping jaws adjustable the other ring having an independent masses scribed, a lens adjusting device comprising a lens holder adjustable rotarily and having an independent adjustment transversely of its axis of rotation, said lens holder having relatively movable lens clamping jaws, and means for opening the jaws simultaneously.

9. In an apparatus of the. character de scribed, a lens adjusting device comprising a frame havlng a, circular opening, a ring,

adjustable rotarily in-said opening, a separate ring adjustable upon the first named ring transversely of its axis, lens clamping jaws pivotally mounted on the second named ring, an additional ring mounted upon the second named ring and adjustable rotarily relatively thereto, connections between the last named ring and lens clamping jaws for opening the latter when said last named ring is rotated in one direction, and means for returning the last named ring to close the jaws upon the lens.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising a frame, a rotarily adjustable member mounted on the frame, a ring mounted on said member to rotate therewith and having an independent adjustment transversely of the axis of rotation, means for frictionally holding said ring and member against accidental relative rotation, lens clamping jaws mounted on the ring, and spring actuated means for closing the jaws upon a lens, said means being adjustable manually against theaction of the spring for opening the jaws.

12. In a apparatus of the character described, a non-rotatable frame, a ring journaled on the frame for rotary adjustment, movable means for locking the ringin its adjusted position, a separate ring mounted on the second named ring to rotate therewith and having an independent adjustment transversely of the axis of rotation, means for frictionally holding the second named ring in its adjusted position, lens clamping jaws mounted on the second named ring,

and spring actuated means for'closing the jaws upon a lens.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a lens adjusting device comprising a rotary supporting member, a lens holder adjustable transversely of the axis of rotation of said member, said lens holder being means for withdrawing said jaws from their clamping positions, andan auxiliary lens holder mounted on said'member and movable to and from a position across the axis of rotation of the firstnamed lens holder in such mane'r as to bring the lens thereon in the same transverse plane as that in which it would be held by the jaws of said first named holder.

14.. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame, a ring adjustable rotarily upon the frame, a lens holder mounted upon the ring and adjustable transversely of its axis of rotationand pro- "vided with lens clamping aws and means for withdrawing the jaws from their clamping positions, and an auxiliary lens holder PIVOtGd to the ring to swing to and from a position across the opening therethrough.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands on this tenth day of August 1912.

- Witnesses:

ERASTUS HOPKINS, WILLIAM J. ESPEY. 

